With Or Without You
by raneonthewyndoepain
Summary: Sequel to Together and Apart. Which comes first, relationships or saving the world? Is all really fair in love and war? KitNita, DairineRoshaun.
1. Morning

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, if I did I'm sure some angry parents would sue me for giving their children ideas. **

Nita awoke to sunlight streaming in her window, filling her room with a golden silence that was disturbed only by the barely audible twittering of birds from outside her window. She sighed with contentment but didn't open her eyes yet. She loved these moments, when the leftover effects of a good dream stayed with her until she opened her eyes and reality came flooding back. For long moments she just lay there, basking in the glow of mid morning sun.

What had she been dreaming about? It had been a good dream, but she couldn't quite remember it. Whenever she concentrated too hard the traces of it that still clung to her consciousness slipped away. She relaxed and let her thoughts wander, but reality was back in full force. Nita sighed, opened her eyes, and immediately wished she hadn't. There was a dark head of hair next to her on her pillow, and it suddenly became clear to her that her dream hadn't been a dream at all.

Meanwhile, Dairine was having her own problems. By the time she and Roshaun had gotten back to the palace last night, they'd both been dead tired and it was much too late for Dairine to head home, so she'd crashed on his couch. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but in hindsight Dairine realized that her father was going to be furious. It didn't matter that it was summer vacation, it didn't matter that nothing had happened between her and Roshaun, in her father's eyes she was still a dumb little kid who'd somehow managed to miss her curfew by an entire twelve hours.

_Shit, _Dairine thought, and then said it out loud for emphasis. "Shit."

"Good morning to you too," drawled a deep voice from the door of the bathroom. Dairine spun around to see Roshaun wearing nothing more than a golden towel wrapped rather carelessly around his waist. Dairine blushed and tried very hard not to stare: Roshaun's resemblance to an anime character was even more striking when he lacked a shirt. Dairine blushed even more and tried to think of something, _anything _else, and only succeeded in realizing that she was wearing very short shorts, an undersized tank top, and no bra. Muttering something incomprehensible, she stomped off to the shower, leaving an amused Roshaun behind her.

Kit stirred. He opened his eyes, blinked blearily at Nita, and his face assembled itself into a cross between an understanding smile and an i-just-got-lucky grin. Together, the two were rather grotesque, and Nita wanted none of it. She had already showered and dressed, and was now perched on the edge of her own bed with a decidedly unpleasant expression on her face. Kit recognized that look, and he had no wish to be on the receiving end of it. He opened his mouth to speak, but Nita got there first.

"What the hell were we thinking?"

"Well. Um. I suppose we were thinking it was time to take our relationship to the next level?" Kit rasped.

"Don't get cute with me!" Nita growled. "I'm barely fifteen! You're younger! This was supposed to be years down the line." Her eyes filled with tears as she ranted at him, and Kit felt like crap as usual for making her cry.

"Nita, baby. Come here," He said softly, and she relented at last, putting her head on his bare shoulder and sobbing harder than she ever had in her life. He rocked her back and forth and murmured, "Shh, it's gonna be okay…"

She twisted away from him, her pretty face slick with tears. "How do you know that? How you know it's gonna be okay?"

Kit paused. "Well, I don't really," He admitted, and her face crumpled in on itself again. "We'll work it out, though, " He added hurriedly, "Always do."

"N-not for something like this!" Nita stuttered through her tears. "I-I mean, what are we supposed to tell our parents?"

"Not the truth!"

"Well then!"

Kit clenched his teeth, thinking. "I don't see that we have to tell them anything at all," He said slowly. "I'll just use the good old beam-me-up-scotty spell to get home. If I just transport myself straight to my bedroom, they'll never know – I always sleep late during the summer."

Nita nodded, but Kit could tell she wasn't happy with his solution. He didn't know what else to say, so he turned away and began to awkwardly pull on his clothes. When he was dressed, he turned back to her.

"Listen, Neets," He began, then hesitated, not sure of how to go on, "I…I love you. I never would do anything to hurt you, not in a million years. I know we're young, but we've seen things that most people never get a chance to see in their whole lives. In a way this is happening fast, but somehow it feels right, at least to me. I guess, what I'm trying to say is…I don't regret what happened last night, not unless you do."

Nita stopped staring at her lap and finally looked him in the eye. "Of course I don't," She said softly, and pulled him into a kiss that was long and deep and infinitely sweet. Still dizzy, Kit let go of her at last, gave her a small smile and wave, and vanished on the spot.


	2. Dream

**Disclaimer: I own only my opinion.**

_Lightning flashed and thunder rolled. The sky split open and rain poured down in an avalanche of water. She gave a little shriek of surprise and took his hand in hers, dragging him toward the front door. She let go of his hand and fumbled with her keys. The doorknob was slippery and cold to her touch. She could feel his arm around her shoulders as he tried to shield her from the rain. At last she got the door open and they fell through together. _

_She laughed and kicked the door shut, then turned back to him. He was laughing, too, but there was something in the way he looked at her, full of yearning. It scared her. She stood up._

_"Want some hot chocolate?" She asked him, trying to gloss over the strange moment. _

_"Sure," Came his quiet reply. He stood up also, walked over to where she was standing at the kitchen counter, opening cabinets. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissed her lightly on the cheek. A shudder went through her as he sat down, and she realized that she was full of yearning, too._

_She grabbed two mugs and some hot chocolate mix, the kind with little marshmallows in it. In a few moments the cocoa was ready. She set it down in front of him with a flourish, then sat down across from him. _

_"Thanks." His eyes were searching hers, looking for some clue as to why she was acting so oddly._

_"No problem."_

_An awkward silence lapsed between them. Nita took a sip of her hot chocolate, but it was scalding and burned her tongue. She ran to the sink and spat it out, yelping in pain. When she looked back at him she saw that he was struggling not to laugh._

_"You okay?" He asked, grinning._

_"No," She replied sullenly, and his expression softened._

_"Come here, I'll fix it," He said, and she did. He took her face between his hands, leaned in to kiss her. She kissed him back._

_It was simple, after that. She didn't know how to stop it, and didn't want to try._

Nita woke up. It was late, around midnight. For a moment she wondered if it had all just been a dream. Then she saw Kit's sweatshirt lying on her floor, and knew it was all too real. But why had she been dreaming about the night before? Wasn't it enough that she was obsessing about it in her waking life as well?

_Maybe that's the point, _she thought, _maybe there's something important about last night that I didn't understand…or maybe it's just disturbing the peace of my subconscious as well. Oh, whatever. _

Nita looked around her room. It was late, but she wasn't tired. She looked down at her sheets, and her face grew hot to think of what she had done on them less than 24 hours before. She wondered if she would ever feel comfortable sleeping on them again. More than that, she wondered if she would ever feel normal again, or if she and Kit would ever be able to look each other in the eye without blushing and going back to staring at the floor.

Nita's whole life seemed to be getting more and more complicated every day. There was Kit, for one thing, but there was also Dairine. She hadn't gotten home until noon that day, and while her father had been furious, she just sat there and took it, which was very unlike her. Was it possible Nita's sister was going through the same thing that Nita was?

_Nah, _Nita thought, _she's too smart to fall into this trap. _Still, a part of her wasn't entirely convinced. She resolved to give Dairine the third degree about it in the morning, knowing all too well that she would receive it in turn.

Nita turned off her lamp, punched her pillow, and tried to go back to sleep, but it was no use. Her mind wouldn't quiet down, and she felt terribly lonely lying there all by herself. Sighing, she threw off her covers and padded silently down the hall to Dairine's room. She called her sister's name. There was no response.

"Dairine?" She tried again.

"Nnnghhh?"

"Oh good, you're awake. Hey, listen. Can I, um, sleep in here tonight?" Nita paused, embarrassed, but there was no answer. She crept closer to her sister's bed and saw that she had already gone back to sleep. Carefully Nita crawled under the blanket and laid down, the sound of Dairine's steady breathing already making her feel less alone.


	3. Break

When Dairine awoke early the next morning, her room was gray with the light that came before dawn. Quietly she slipped out from under the covers, taking care not to disturb Nita. Dairine crept over to her window and slid it open. She climbed onto the windowsill, faced inward, and took hold of the edge of her roof with both hands. Then, with a motion that had taken years to perfect, she swung herself up and over.

Dairine knew that she could have used wizardry to reach the top of her roof much faster, but she preferred to do it this way. She liked the feeling it gave her, the way her heart pounded from adrenaline and her breath grew fast and heavy. She felt the effort it took and was reminded that everything was a spell in its own way. And as she sat there drinking in the sunrise, she felt replenished, as if the sun's rays were fill her with peace and strength.

It was a private ritual that Dairine had never shared with anyone. She knew that the world perceived as somewhat tough and unfeeling, and she liked that image of herself more than she cared to admit. Deep down, however, Dairine appreciated beauty as much as the next person, maybe more. How could she be a wizard otherwise?

When the sun had fully risen, Dairine sighed and clambered back down into her room. She dressed as quietly as possible so as not to wake Nita. When she was ready to leave, however, she hesitated, then walked over and tucked the blankets more tightly around Nita. "Sweet dreams, Neets," She whispered. Then, with a barely audible pop of displaced air, she was gone.

Kit was lying on his bed trying to read a book, but he kept getting distracted by thoughts of Nita. Finally he gave up and just lay there, thinking. He was drifting off into what promised to be a pleasant dream when he heard his sister Carmela's voice screeching at him from downstairs.

"KIT! KIT! GET UP, YOU LAZY BUM! NITA'S HERE TO SEE YOU! KIT!"

Kit snapped out of dreamland almost immediately. Nita! Nita was here? Or was he still dreaming? He decided to go find out.

Kit ran downstairs, taking the steps two at a time, to find that Nita was indeed waiting for him at the door, but she did not look remotely happy to see him. In fact, she looked desperately uncomfortable.

"Hey," Kit ventured, giving her a nervous smile that she did not return.

"Hi," She responded softly, "wanna go for a walk?"

"Sure,' Kit agreed.

They stepped out of the house and began to walk down Kit's street. Kit could literally feel the tension air between them, which seemed to crackle with electricity. He stole several furtive glances at Nita. How she managed to look beautiful in jeans and a sweatshirt, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, was a mystery to him, but she did. Then she opened her mouth and ruined everything.

"I've been thinking," Nita began.

"Always dangerous," Kit joked, trying to lighten the mood. Nita didn't laugh, but waited for the smile to drop off his face before she continued.

"This isn't working out."

Nita's words hit him like a freight train going way too fast. Kit wished time would pause, rewind, but instead it seemed to be stuck on fast forward.

"What?" He managed to croak.

For the first time that day, Nita looked Kit right in the eye. He thought he registered a flicker of sadness in her eyes, a hint of regret. Then it was gone.

"You know what I mean," Nita kept speaking, oblivious to the fact that her every word pierced Kit like an arrow through his heart. "You, me. We aren't working out. Look, Kit, please don't make this harder than it actually is. If the Powers That Be send something our way that needs dealing with, you know I'll be right there, fighting with you. But for now, there's nothing. And I just don't think we should see each other anymore. I'm…I'm sorry."

Nita stepped forward and gave Kit an awkward hug. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling the sweet smell of her, and wondered if it was the last time he would ever hold her close to him. Close enough to feel the beating of her heart. He wanted to savor the moment, but she pulled away after only a few seconds.

"So…bye then," Nita mumbled.

"Bye," Kit responded numbly.

Nita spared him a nod and then turned briskly away. She walked away form him with her shoulder's squared and her head held high, as if she had better things to do. She went to the CVS on the corner and bought herself a coke, which she sipped as she sat in a park and looked up at the clear blue sky. Her body went through the motions, but her mind had checked out, gone MIA. She would have been worried if she could find it in herself to care. Her feet guided her home, to her room, where she sat down on her bed, kicked off her shoes, and came completely undone.


	4. Run

Dairine appeared in one of the many gardens that were built in and around the palace where Roshaun lived. It was a spot where she had taken to arriving so that she wouldn't infringe on Roshaun's privacy. She was just about to step out from behind a tree when she heard soft voices, and hesitated.

"Really, Alyra, there is no need to worry about me," said a voice that Dairine recognized as Roshaun's.

"On the contrary, there is every need!" A girl's voice replied fiercely. "I have traveled throughout the villages in disguise, I know of their plans! The only reason that you survived the last assignation plot was because of me! I fear that you do not take these threats seriously enough, believing that your so-called 'wizardry' makes you invincible."

Dairine winced on Roshaun's behalf. Those were strong words. When he did speak, his words were slow, measured, and not without a hint of anger.

"How dare you suggest that I do not take my duties seriously enough? Have you forgotten that it was wizardry that caused this situation in the first place? I seek reform, Alrya! I have no wish to rule. The current system is taxing to all parties involved, so why not abolish it? It is the right choice, the only choice, that we now face."

"How can I be certain that those are your own words, Roshaun?" The girl responded, her voice cold and full of contempt.

"I speak for no one but myself, Alrya, and always have." Roshaun didn't sound angry anymore, but rather tired, as though he'd had this conversation many times before.

"I'm afraid," the girl admitted, her voice trembling with anguish, "I…I cannot lose you, Roshaun."

Roshaun's voice was softer and kinder than Dairine had ever heard it as he said, "You won't have to."

Hating herself for doing so, Dairine took a careful peek around the edge of the tree to find Roshaun holding a pretty blonde girl who looked as if she were struggling not to cry. They were so intent on each other that they didn't notice Dairine, who turned on her heel and fled. It looked as though she'd intruded on Roshaun's privacy after all.

After a few days of laying around the house in a stupor, Kit decided it was time to get up. He took a shower, dressed, and was trying to put his shoes on the wrong feet when he realized what a pathetic mess he truly was. He could fully understand why Nita had broken up with him. The only mystery was why she had tolerated him for so long.

Kit took a walk with Ponch and tried his best to push these thoughts away, but they kept coming back. Finally, after they had circled the block twice and Kit hadn't said a word, Ponch decided to take the initiative.

_What's wrong, boss? _Ponch asked.

Kit sighed deeply and replied in his best I-hate-the-world voice, "Everything."

_Nita?_

Kit shot a surprised look at Ponch. "Yeah, how'd you know?

_I'm a dog, Kit, not an idiot, _Ponch responded, and Kit had to smile. It was a weird twist of life when your dog was a supreme being who knew a hell of a lot more about the universe than you did, but Kit had adjusted pretty well.

"I know that," Kit countered, "I just didn't know you understood human stuff."

_I understand most things, _said Ponch matter of factly. _Anyway, what exactly is the problem?_

Kit thought about it. He thought about the other night at Nita's house. He thought about how much he loved Nita. He thought about how well they worked together. But no matter how much he thought, the only honest answer that he could come up with was that he didn't know, and was about to say so when they were attacked.

It happened so fast that Kit was even sure what direction they came from. One second he was walking along his peaceful suburban street with Ponch, the next he was lying flat on his back, breathing hard and looking wildly around and trying to find the creature that had knocked him over. All her saw were what looked like shadows, darting around him and Ponch in an utter frenzy.

Kit wondered briefly if he'd gone insane, then decided it didn't matter. One way or another, he had to fight these strange shadow creatures. "Ponch?" He gulped.

_Yes, boss? _

"Are you ready?"

_Always._

Kit took a deep breath and, feeling the power that Ponch had lent him, tasting infinity on his lips. It always scared him slightly to do wizardry with Ponch – one wrong step and he would be obliterated by the sheer might of Ponch's power. But he couldn't get tied up in those kinds of thoughts. He had to act, _now._

Quickly he said the last three syllables of a spell that would send the creatures back where they had come from, a sort of 'net' that would capture them and throw them back where they belonged. The last word fell from his lips, there was a terrible, inhuman scream – and then the dancing shadows were gone.


	5. Beautiful

Dairine ran out of that garden like the hounds of hell were chasing her. At first she sprinted, but when her lungs burned and she had to gasp for air she adjusted her pace slightly, slowing down just enough so that she would have a heart attack. She ran track at school, so this was pretty cake. The only problem was that she had no idea where she was going. Her only coherent thought as she had dashed out of the garden had been something along the lines of _I've got to get out of here._ And so she had.

Now, however, she had to admit that she was lost. She sat down at the base of a column, feeling exhausted and beaten and depressed. If there was one thing that Dairine hated more than anything else in the worlds, it was losing, and now it looked as though she was losing Roshaun to some pretty blonde girl. How typical.

Dairine had her head in her hands when he arrived, which explained why she didn't see him approach. She heard him, though. She heard the gentle sound of his footsteps on the marble floor, and she heard him sit down next to her. She didn't bother looking up.

"Hello," he said softly, unfazed by her lack of reaction. After having been around her all summer, he was pretty used to the way her moods ran hot and cold.

"Hello," Dairine said brightly. She could feel her anger prickling just under her skin, ready if she needed it. "Done with your other girlfriend, then?"

Roshaun actually had the nerve to look confused. 'What other girlfriend?"

Dairine's anger broke and she was on her feet all of a sudden, her voice getting louder and louder as she cried, "The one you were hugging in the garden just now! Or were you planning not to tell me about her?"

Roshaun laughed. He actually laughed. Dairine resisted to the urge to hit him.

"It's not like that-"

"Oh, it's not, is it? Well, tell me then, what is it like?"

"She's my sister."

With those three words Dairine's anger abated, and she went from feeling furious to feeling utterly mortified. "Oh," she said lamely.

Roshaun's lip twitched. "Trust me, you're all I can handle," he teased.

Dairine blushed, simultaneously wanting to punch him and to lean her tired head against his shoulder. She settled for extending a hand to him and pulling him to his feet. He stood and she dropped his hand a little too quickly. He gave her a slow, lazy smile and she blushed even harder, wondering how it was that he knew exactly what was going on in her head and wasn't remotely bothered by it.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Dairine replied softly.

Roshaun's smile widened and he took her hand again. "Come on," he said, his eyes laughing, tugging gently on her hand. Dairine followed willingly. She was tired of thinking, tired of overanalyzing everything to the point of death.

He led her to the beginning of a flight of stairs. Dairine looked at him questioningly, but he just arched one delicate eyebrow and flicked his eyes upward, motioning for her to keep moving. She shrugged and started up the stairs, still holding his hand.

The walls began to curve and the stairway spiraled. Dairine realized that they were in some sort of tower. They had been climbing for only a few moments when they came to the end of the line. The ceiling, though a comfortable distance from Dairine's head, almost skimmed Roshaun's golden hair. (Damn him for being so tall…) Nevertheless, Dairine was frustrated with him for bringing her to a dead end and was about to say so when he let go of her hand, reached overhead, and grabbed the handle of a partially concealed trapdoor. Looking at her, he smiled that grin that made all of the nerves in her body itch in a not entirely unpleasant way.

"Ladies first," he said, and he was enjoying himself just a little too much because there was no way Dairine could reach the opening, let alone pull herself through it.

"And how am I supposed to get up there?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips and treating him to her most annoyed voice.

"A little less venom, please," Roshaun responded, still smiling, "I'll help you."

Dairine could have done it by wizardry. She didn't need help. But she chose to accept it anyway, placing her foot in Roshaun's cupped hands and sort of leaping awkwardly at the opening. She felt his grasp tighten around her ankle as she caught hold of the edges and knew he wouldn't let her fall.

Once she had pulled herself through, she turned around to get her bearings and almost fell over.

The view from the top of the tower was so incredible that the word "beautiful" was totally inadequate to describe it. Dairine found herself gazing into the full glory of the setting sun, and even as the blindingly bright circle of light seared itself into her vision, she found it impossible to tear herself away. She could see for miles over the vast expanse of the Welkhan landscape, so achingly different from the view at home except for the vastness of the brilliant blue sky. She marveled at the colors. Reds, golds, yellows, and oranges blurred the landscape into that of an impressionist's painting.

It was all so gut-wrenchingly lovely that she didn't notice Roshaun until he put his hands on his shoulders. She turned around to see him framed in the glow of the setting sun. He was smiling again but in an entirely different way, a softer, sweeter smile that made her want to kiss the corners of his lips. He put his arms around her and kissed her, long and deep, and she didn't mind so much that he could read her mind now.

Breathless, Dairine pulled away from him. "_Thank you for bringing me up here_," she said in the Speech, _"it's beautiful."_

"_Yes," _he agreed, "_and so are you." _

Any other time, place, or language, it would have been a totally cheesy line. But now, basking in the light of another world's sun and safe in the arms of the guy that she loved, Dairine decided to believe him.


	6. Stolen

**Disclaimer: Diane Duane owns, obviously.**

Kit stood in the middle of the street, breathing like a young colt who had just run his first race. His first instinct was to go to Nita. Tthe creatures that he had just encountered were obviously magical, and normally he would have needed her help interpreting the event that had just taken place.But then he remembered that Nita wasn't speaking to him. He toyed with the idea of going to see her anyway - he wanted so badly to see her face, hear her voice - but he decided against it. Settling himself on the curb, he had a quick, frustrating conversation with Ponch.

"What the hell were those?"

_Old, _said Ponch, his words slow and pained, _they were...ancient._

Kit couldn't control a shudder at these words, for with them came the full weight of Ponch's distress. Whatever those creatures were, their presence had disturbed him greatly. Kit spoke carefully.

"But what _were _they?"

_I...I don't know._

"What?" Kit cried, losing his patience for a moment. Ponch winced, and Kit lowered his voice. "I thought you knew everything," Kit said wonderingly.

Ponch gave a harsh bark of a laugh. _So did I. _

It was late, but Nita couldn't fall asleep. The stars twinkled teasingly from oustide her open window. The full moon cast a slivery glow over her room. _Come outside, _the tree branches seemed to sigh. Nita's body was exhausted and tried to shut her eyes to the starry night's temptation, but her mind had other plans.

She threw her mother's old red silk robe over her own white nightgown (neither of which reached her knees) and stole through the sleeping household to the back door, which she left open behind her. She was barefoot, but the cool grass felt heavenly underfoot. A breeze stirred the warm night air. She curled up under the branches of her rowan friend and was just drifting off when the sound of a snapping twig awoke her.

Nita's eyes flew open. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She leapt to her feet and had just enough time to register that something was terribly, terribly wrong before there was a stabbing pain in her side. She stuggled for air and tried to cry out, but it was too late. She collapsed, and the shadows took her.

The phone rang. Kit dove for it, hoping it was Tom and Carl calling him back and not Carmela's latest conquest. "Hello?" He said breathlessly into the mouthpiece, ignoring Carmela glaring at him like he kicked puppies for fun.

"Kit?" It was Dairine.

"Yeah, what's up?" Kit asked, his spirits lifting. Maybe Nita had changed her mind, and wanted to see him! But then...why wouldn't she call herself?

Dairine sounded more scared than Kit had ever heard it as she replied, "Nita's missing."

**A/N: Sorry it's such a cliffhanger, and Merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate).**


	7. Shock

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Wizards. If I did, you'd probably kill me.**

_Nita was lying in a field of daisies that stretched all the way to the distant horizon. Daisies had been her mothers favorite flower. She was wearing a long yellow sundress. There were daisies in her hair. The sun was shining. She was happy._

_She laughed and spun around, once, twice, three times until she was so dizzy that she fell over. She inhaled the smell of the sweet smelling grass and sighed. It was crazy, but she felt as though she could taste the blue, blue sky._

_"Having fun?" A child's voice inquired._

_Nita sat bolt upright, her heart bouncing off her ribcage. Standing in front of her was a small girl of around seven, with long, curly, white blond hair and cloudy blue eyes. She too was wearing a sundress, though hers was blue._

_"I…I thought I was alone," Nita stammered._

_"You were right," The girl responded, as perfectly calm as the cloudless sky. Then, before Nita had time to decipher that puzzling remark, she turned on her heel (Nita noticed that she was also barefoot) and said, "Follow me."_

_Feeling uneasy, Nita did so. They came to the crest of a hill. The girl paused. "You go on," she said, and smiled at Nita. It was not a reassuring smile. It didn't begin to reach her eyes, which now seemed more stormy than cloudy._

_Nita began to feel frightened, though she wasn't sure why. She wanted to run away, but her feet moved her forward, over the knoll of the hill. She saw what was on the other side, and gasped._

_Sitting on a picnic blanket and kissing fiercely were Kit and Dairine. Nita froze. She could neither look nor look away. A storm was building inside her. Finally, a cry tore itself loose from her lips. She fled._

_Waiting for her on the other side of the hill was the blonde girl. She laughed at Nita's distress, the flood of tears streaming down her face. "Why did you bring me here?" Nita screamed when she had her breath back._

_The girl shook her head, laughing. "You brought yourself here," she replied, still giggling. "Is it not satisfactory? Or is this more what you wanted?" She snapped her fingers and Kit and Dairine appeared at her feet. With a flick of her wrist she flung Dairine aside and held a silver blade to Kit's throat._

_"No!" Nita screamed, powerless to stop her._

_"As you wish," The demon girl snarled. She dropped Kit and reappeared at Nita's side. The last thing Nita saw was the flash of the silver dagger and the blood staining her yellow sundress before she was lost to the world._

Nita's eyes flew open. For a moment she thought she was still dreaming, due to the sharp pain in her ribcage, but then she realized that her situation was all too real. Her face was pressed against a damp, mossy floor her side was on fire with pain. She let out a small sob. Her nightmare had been so terrible, and it seemed that reality was not all that much better. She tried to lift her head and gasped as it sent a shuddering pain throughout her entire body. Best not to move, then.

Nita closed her eyes and tried to think, but images from her dream continued to haunt her. She gave a soft little moan, braced herself, and sat up.

Pain. Her body raged at her, denying her every attempt to make it obey her. The corners of her vision went fuzzy, and Nita thought she would have fainted had her desperate, flailing hand not caught the edge of a wall, which she slumped against gratefully, her breathing labored. What the hell had happened to her?

When she was brave enough to open her eyes, again she saw that she was not alone. Gazing down at her with a look of great concern in his eyes was a black-haired, shirtless, jean-clad Irish guy that Nita knew very well. In fact, she'd just saved his life a few months ago (and he'd gotten even more attractive since then, if that was possible).

"Ronan?" She croaked in disbelief.

"That's me," He said, dropping to his knees with a worried smile.

"What…why…where's your _shirt?" _Nita asked, and then blushed. Of all the questions she could have asked, why was that the one that came out of her mouth?

Ronan didn't laugh, but gestured to her midsection instead. Nita looked down and have a muffled little cry - her nightgown was soaked in blood. No wonder it hurt to move.

"What…what happened?" She asked, shaking. Nita had never been good with blood, especially if it was her own.

Ronan worried look grew more intense. "Broke a couple ribs, it seems. Nasty cut. Lucky whatever attacked you missed all the important stuff, or I'd have been too late."

Nita felt her midsection gingerly. "You used your shirt as a bandage?" She said, then gulped. She hadn't been wearing a bra.

It was Ronan's turn to look embarrassed. "Sorry, Nita," he began awkwardly, his eyes not quite meeting her own. "I wouldn't have…invaded your privacy or whatever, but you were bleeding quite a lot, and…"

Nita held up a hand to stop him, which hurt, but was necessary. "I'd rather have my life than my privacy, thanks," she said, ignoring her burning cheeks. "Seriously, thank you."

Ronan looked relieved. "Don't mention it. I did a few spells to stop the bleeding and mend your ribs, but it'll be a few minutes till you're completely healed, so I'd advise not moving till then. And you might be sore for a couple of days, sorry about that."

Nita winced. "I'm just glad to be alive," she said fervently. "But…where the hell are we?"

Ronan looked around at the room, which featured a low stone ceiling, walls, and floors, all damp and moss covered. There was an oil lamp burning in the middle of the room, but no windows, so the light was dim. There didn't appear to be a door either.

"No idea," Ronan responded, shrugging his tanned, broad shoulders. (Where did someone get a tan in Ireland? How did Ronan have the time to lay around in the sun, anyway?) He frowned at Nita. "How'd you get here, anyway?"

Nita told him. He was nodding before she finished. "They attacked me, too," he said, "while I was sleeping."

"Any idea what they are?" Said Nita keenly.

Ronan pursed his lips. "None," he said grimly.

Nita nodded, though she couldn't help but be a bit disappointed. "So we're stuck here, then?"

Ronan clenched his jaw. "For now," he said slowly, "since there's an anti transit spell on this whole damn place…" He looked at Nita, and she was frightened by the intensity of his stare. "But I swear as soon as I get out of here I'm going to get ahold of whoever did this to you…" he gestured at her ribs, "…and tear them apart."

Nita shivered, partly from the cold and partly from the anger in Ronan's voice. Ronan noticed, retrieved her robe from the opposite corner of the cell, and helped her into it. Nita shivered again as his gentle hands tucked her hair behind her ears - for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her - but then he moved away.

Still holding her gaze, Ronan made himself as comfortable as possible on the hard stone floor, and smiled, flicking his hair out of his eyes. "So, Nita," he began, "how've you been?"

**A/N: Happy New Years.**


	8. Impulse

Kit was numb with disbelief. His brain couldn't seem to process the fact that Nita was gone. Ever since he had become a wizard, Nita had been his pillar of strength, his partner, his best friend. He loved her more than anyone in the world, and until a few days ago, he would have sworn up and down that she felt the same way about him. But now...everything was different. Kit had thought he'd known Nita better than anyone, but he never would have predicted that she would break up with him. And now she was missing. Kit was terrified that she'd been taken by the shadow creatures that had attacked him, and Ponch seemed to think that it was likely. But the other possibility scared him too. What if Nita hadn't been kidnapped? What if she'd just...run away?

"Kit?" said Dairine hesitantly, interrupting his reverie, "we should get going."

Kit looked up at the girl standing before him. "Right," he said, still lost in thoughts of her sister.

Dairine seemed to grasp this. She knelt down in front of Kit, who was sitting on the sofa of the Callahan living room. She took his shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. "I know it's hard," said Dairine simply. "I know. But we will find her. And when we do, you guys will work out whatever problems you're having-" Kit shot her a surprised look, and she raised her eyebrow at him, as if daring him to deny it, "-because you're meant to be. Me and Roshaun...we're a question mark. But you and Nita are the real deal, and I'll be damned if I think you're going to let a little adolescent angst stand in the way of that."

Kit was lost for words. Dairine didn't seem to need them. She gave him a friendly smile and a punch on the shoulder, then said, "C'mon. Tom and Carl are waiting. Let's go save my sister's butt once again."

She set off without one look back. Kit lingered for a moment. "Out of the frying pan, into the fire," he muttered. And then he went after Dairine.

Nita and Ronan were learning something about their mysterious hosts. They didn't want their hostages to die. At least not yet. Because a few minutes after Ronan and Nita's last candle went out, a hole in the ceiling opened up and two burlaps sacks were shoved through. The trapdoor promptly closed before Nita and Ronan had time to do say, "What the hell?"

Curious, they opened the sacks. In one, they found two blankets, a fresh shirt for Ronan, and a new nightgown for Nita. The material was soft but durable and warm, and the garments fit perfectly. Nita and Ronan discovered that the other sack held a large quantity of bread, cheese, and a canteen of something that seemed, based on the smell, to be wine. Needless to say, Ronan and Nita were more than a little confused.

"Poison?" Nita suggested, examining a piece of bread.

Ronan shrugged. "There are easier ways to kill us."

Nita smiled. "Exactly what I was thinking," she said mischievously, and took a large swig of the wine. To Ronan's horror, she then clutched her stomach and slumped to the side, unconscious.

"Nita!" he cried, scrambling to her side. He turned her over onto her back and shook her limp body. "Wake up!"

Nita giggled and opened her eyes. "Gotcha!" she said, grinning.

Ronan turned away to hide the fact that he was hurt by her prank. Nita figured this out on her own, however, and said gently, "I was only teasing. I'm sorry. Here, have some wine."

Ronan gave her a reproving look, but took the canteen from her. "What the hell," he said, and took a long draught.

"That's the spirit!" laughed Nita. She'd never drunk before in her life, but the combination of seeing her old flame and still being alive left her feeling reckless. "Save some for me, now!"

Together Ronan and Nita drank the entire canteen. Feeling rather ridiculous, the two teenagers sang their way through every camp song they knew, teaching each other the lyrics as they went. The combination of Irish and American campfire songs sung off tune with many gaps and humming substituted for the more challenging lyrics, struck them as the funniest thing they'd ever heard. They collapsed laughing on the blanket they'd laid out on the floor.

Nita was suddenly aware of how close they were to each other, her face only inches from Ronan's. Suddenly, she wasn't laughing anymore. Her heart was beating like a frightened rabbits, wild excitement, confusion, and warning signals all competing for the top spot on her priority list. And suddenly, she didn't care. She was going to have what she wanted. This was the only thought that made any sense in her mind, and she chose to act on it. Leaning forward slightly, she kissed Ronan on the lips.


	9. Drunk

Kit was rummaging around in his otherspace pocket with one hand and consulting his manual with the other. "Right," he said to himself, "that's not exactly helpful. Oh well…it was a worth a shot. Manual," he addressed the book, his tone shifting from contemplative to decisive, "get me Tom and Carl."

The pages of the book rifled until a blank one appeared. How a book could look expectant was beyond Kit, but it did. Kit sighed. First Nita disappeared, now his manual was starting to develop a personality. Couldn't a wizard catch a break?

Messing up his hair as he frequently did when he was nervous, Kit thought. After a few moments deliberation, he settled on this message:

_**Nothing in the book about shadows with a mind of their own. Have considered what you said, but decided we can't afford to wait. Nita is in danger. Will keep you updated.**_

That wasn't likely to make them particularly happy, but there was nothing to be done about it. Kit knew what they would say if he talked to them in person, which was precisely why he has chosen this medium of communication. It wasn't like he had any choice. Still, it made him uneasy to think of Tom's disapproving tone, of Carl's penetrating stare.

Kit paused. He was on the point of scrapping the message and starting over when a new image burst unbidden into his mind. Nita's anguished face. And, as if from a great distance, her scream. Kit shivered. He knew it was only a thought, but it felt _real._ As if he was the only one who could save her from a terrible fate.

His resolve strengthened, Kit cleared his throat and said, in a harsh whisper, "Send."

Nita tasted sweet, like wine and summer. One of Ronan's hands tangled in her long, sweet smelling hair as they kissed. The other rested lightly on her hip. But Ronan could also taste her hesitation and her guilt. It flooded into him and filled his mouth with the bitter tang of cigarettes and rotten fruit, and Ronan let Nita go. He gathered up her hands and gave them back to her. And then he said the thing he knew Nita wanted to hear least.

"We can't do this."

The candlelight flickered in Nita's eyes. "Why not?" she asked him softly, treating him to a smile that was so slow and sexy that Ronan almost changed his mind. "We never got to finish that kiss in Ireland. What if we just…pick up where we left off?"

"That's not what you want," said Ronan firmly, trying to sound more confident that he felt.

Nita's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me what I want," she snapped.

"I'm not…I just…Nita, listen to me. You are amazing. You are talented and wonderful and I would love, I would really love to be kissing you right now. But you're drunk."

Nita started protest, her cheeks two bright splotches of color, but Ronan held up a hand. "You're not thinking clearly right now and I'm not gonna let you do something you'll regret in the morning. I'm not that kinda guy, Nita. Not anymore."  
Nita looked noticeably subdued and even a little hurt. Ronan sighed, wrapped a blanket around her, and carried her to the warm, clean pile of straw that had been left in a corner. With surprising tenderness, he kissed her forehead. Then he dragged his tired body to a separate corner, blew out the candle, and was out cold in less than a minute.


	10. Company

Dairine was drawing in the dirt.

From far away it might have looked as though she was idly sketching in the dust, but upon closer inspection it was obvious that she was deep in concentration. Her red hair was falling into her large, silvery eyes, usually so full of mischief, were now clouded with worry. Her lips moved, but not a sound escaped her. She was so immersed in her calculations, in fact, that Kit had to say her name three times before she showed any sign of having heard him.

"Dairine. Dairine. Dairine! RUNT!"

"Only my sister calls me that, _El Nino," _Dairine shot back without looking up.

"Point taken. Are you done yet?"

"Do you want to end up in Mariana's Trench?"

"Sorry."

"No problem. Did you get the mustard?'

"Yes, though I still don't get why we need _mustard_ for a spell."

Dairine lifted her head at last, her eyes sparkling. "We don't. I needed a sandwich."

Kit punched her playfully on the shoulder and handed her the bottle of mustard. Dairine sat down, careful not to scuff the symbols she had sketched in the dirt and began to slather mustard on a slice of bread with almost indecent enthusiasm. Kit watched her with a faintly amused expression on his face. Then his eye traveled to her work. Sighing, he got out his manual and started to check for mistakes. Naturally, there were none.

Five minutes later, Dairine stood up, brushed her hands free of crumbs, and said softly, "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Kit quipped. Ponch was away on "business", so Kit and Dairine had to locate Nita on their own. In some ways, Kit preferred it that way – he hadn't to deal with a real wizardry problem in so long, he felt like he was losing his touch. Still, he missed having Ponch at his side for reassurance.

There was no time to reflect on this, however. Dairine was gesturing impatiently for him to join her. Kit sighed again and made to follow her, but he had scarcely stowed his manual in his otherspace pocket when there came a loud _crack!_ from behind him.

Kit whirled around. Standing in front of him, looking haughty as ever, was Roshaun. At his side was a beautiful blond girl Kit had never seen before. Speechless, Kit just stood there, his mouth hanging open, until Roshaun spoke.

"Got room for two more in that spell?"

-

Nita felt like she'd been hit by a truck.

Her head was pounding and she was sore from sleeping on the cold stone floor all night. Her teeth felt like they were covered in fuzzy sweaters. The pain in her side had flared up again, and when she dared to inspect the wound, she found a thick red scar. She knew wizardry could make the scar disappear, but looking at it made her stomach upset. Her captors had nearly killed her once before. Who was to say they wouldn't try it again?

Nita was distracted from these unhappy thoughts by her body's urgent need to use the bathroom. She stood, and her side exploded with pain. She grimaced, but managed to remain upright. Her eyes found Ronan, who was still sleeping peacefully in the opposite corner, and she nearly let out a groan of embarrassment as she remembered the night before. In the morning light, she appreciated Ronan's chivalry, but it made her ashamed that she'd been so easily persuaded by alcohol.

An uncomfortable twinge in her bladder reminded Nita that she had a mission. She headed for the nearest shadowy corner, throwing a cautious glance Ronan's way. He was flat on his back, snoring, and it didn't look like he'd be waking up anytime soon. Nita started for the corner again, but then something caught her eye. Something very, very strange.

The section of the wall in front of her looked normal, like solid, moss covered stone. But the section of the wall just to the right of that was - there was not other word for it - _shimmering._ Without thinking, Nita stretched out her fingertips to touch the wall - and found only empty air. Nita screamed and tripped backwards over her own feet, and the wall flickered and disappeared, revealing a dark passageway just large enough for two teenagers to slip into.

"Wha happen?" came Ronan's groggy voice from behind her. Nita pointed a shaking hand at the hole in the wall.

"I think I just found a way out."


	11. Jump

Dairine recovered first

Dairine recovered first. Raising one eyebrow, she said coolly, "And what are you doing here?"  
Roshaun wasn't fazed. He gave the clearing a contemptuous glance and replied, "Thought you might need a little...backup."  
Dairine folded her arms. "Well, you were wrong. We've got things under control here."  
"Under control?" Roshaun repeated in a tone that bordered on incredulous, his eyes sweeping over the scattered contents of Kit's backpack and the remains of Dairine's sandwich.  
Kit decided to intervene. "Look Dairine, a little backup might not be a bad thing to have. But before we make any hasty decisions, who's your friend?"  
The girl stepped forward before Roshaun had a chance to answer. "I," she began, flicking her hair over her shoulder in a manner that Kit had only ever witnessed in shampoo commercials, "am Alyra."  
"My sister," added Roshaun.  
"I got the better half of the genes," said Alyra airily.  
"I can see the family resemblance," interrupted Kit dryly. He turned to Roshaun. "Are you planning on coming with us?"  
"Yes," Dairine interjected, sounding rather haughty herself, "are you?"  
"Not if you don't want me to, darling," quipped Roshaun, smirking.  
"I thought I told you never to call me that," Dairine snarled.  
"Must have slipped my mind," Roshaun shot back.  
Kit cleared his throat.  
"What?" said the others in unison, then looked at each other in surprise.  
"Look guys," Kit began, ignoring the way that the three of them were glaring at him, "we need a game plan. Every minute we spend arguing is another we don't spend rescuing Nita."  
"I was not aware that Nita needed rescuing," Roshaun remarked, startled out of his snobbishness.  
Dairine sighed. "Boy, have we got a lot to tell you. And none of it's good."

Nita led the way down the dark passageway, with Ronan following close behind her. The walls were damp and covered in moss that glowed, not a bright, radioactive green, but a softer, soothing color. Something about the moss, and the sickly sweet odor that seemed to exude from it, put Nita slightly ill at ease. She said a few words in the Speech that conjured a little white light for her to hold in her hand. As she spoke, she had the eerie sensation that the walls were leaning in to listen. She felt an icy hand on her shoulder and had to suppress a scream, realizing that it was only Ronan.

"Nita, look," he whispered. Ahead of them, the passageway was beginning to curve upwards. The ceiling got lower and lower as they went, until they had to stoop, then crawl. Nita was beginning to feel claustrophobic. She shivered every time her arm brushed the glowing wall, but they had to keep going. For what seemed like hours they crawled along the tunnel, the walls creeping almost imperceptibly closer to them with each foot they advanced. At long last, they thought they could detect natural light, and the sound of water. It was faint, but present. Without realizing it themselves, Nita and Ronan sped up.

The passageway grew steeper, but they no longer cared, because at the end lay sunlight. The sound of rushing water grew louder until it obliterated all other noise. Foot by foot, inch by inch, they dragged their tired bodies along the tunnel, until finally they reached the end. Nita would have gasped if she had breath, because in front of them was a curtain of white water.

"It's a waterfall!" she yelled over her shoulder to Ronan.

"I can see that!" he hollered back. Then, abruptly, she heard his voice inside her head, much clearer than she could hear it over the deafening sound of the water.

_We'll have to jump, _he said.

Nita looked at the water, then back at him. She knew that he was right, but she was afraid. _Together, _she said.

_Together, _he agreed.

Carefully they crept out onto a slick, narrow ledge. Ronan held out his hand, and Nita took it, and smiled a dangerous smile. With screams that were equal parts delight and terror, they leapt together into the fury.


	12. Lucky

Nita was lucky. She hit the water feet first and lost her grip on Ronan's hand. If it hadn't slipped out of her grasp, they would have both been dashed against the rocks. Water pummeled her exhausted body from all sides as she kicked for the surface. There was time only for one gasping breath before the current sucked her under again. She forced her eyes open and saw to her horror, that Ronan had been less fortunate than she. The force of the current had him pressed unconscious against a boulder, and he was bleeding from the head, his face ashen.

Nita didn't give a thought to her burning lungs as she dove. She barely felt the sting of the bitingly cold water. There was only the current, and her battle against it as she swam for Ronan. At last, she reached him, wrapped her arms around his chest, and swam for the light above her. Her vision was beginning to go black at the edges but there was only five feet of water between her and salvation...three...two...

Her head broke the surface, and she took a great greedy gulp of air into her lungs, swallowing a lot of water in the process. She surrendered to the current, letting it carry her swiftly away from the waterfall. Frantically, Nita took hold of Ronan's wrist and felt a pulse fluttering there. She sobbed with relief and terror and utter exhaustion, struggling not to succumb to unconsciousness. At last, when Nita didn't think she could take it anymore, the water calmed. The roaring ferocity behind them died away, and Nita relaxed, trusting herself to the water, which soon deposited her and Ronan on a riverbank. With the last feeble ounce of strength she possessed, Nita dragged herself and Ronan onto the warm sand. She put her shaking hand to Ronan's temple and said the last word of the healing spell that she reserved for emergencies. And then she fainted.

The next thing Nita heard was voices. She burrowed deeper into her blankets and tried to block them out, resting her cheek against the cool silk of her pillow. But it was no use. They were whispering, but it had been enough to wake her. Strangely, as Nita listened to them speak she felt the aches in her body fade, because these were the most beautiful voices she'd ever heard, so lyrical and soft. Nita felt that she could listen for hours, and maybe she did, because it was a long time before occurred to her to listen in the Speech. When she did, what she heard puzzled her.

"...had no right. You know as well as I do, Dameon, that what they did was wrong, and goes against everything the old ones warned us about!"

"That may be true, Andrea, but that doesn't mean I want to go up against the council! They'll tear us apart, and then what will become of your precious Resistance?"

"Then you are a coward."

"If I wasn't, I'd be dead already."

"Maybe so. But I won't stand by and watch them do this. I can't. There is a time for caution, but this is not it. I know and you know it, and you won't admit it because you care more about saving your own skin than you do about-"

"That isn't fair, Andrea."

"Is anything? These are dangerous times, Dameon."

"I've been trying to tell you that for months now but you won't listen to-"

"Hush. The girl stirs."

There was a pause, and then a tired sigh. "Well, they've dragged her into this now. We'll have to tell her everything."

"Everything?"

Andrea sounded shocked.

"Yes, everything."

"Dameon, we need to protect her!"

Nita was sick of being talked about as if she weren't there. Her eyes flew open and she quickly scanned her surroundings. She appeared to be in a modest wooden cabin with a dirt floor and several cots. There was a fire crackling in a sort of pit in the center, and a large wooden table, and sitting at the table were two of the most beautiful people Nita had ever seen.

She spent a moment puzzling over them until she realized that they weren't – couldn't be – human. They were too tall, for one thing, their slender limbs overlong, their proportions wrong. The woman had golden hair that fell to the small of her back and green eyes so bright they glowed. The man's hair was black, his blue eyes piercing. The woman smiled kindly, and her small, perfect set of white teeth struck Nita. Self – consciously she touched a finger to her own braces, and the woman – Andrea – gave a tinkling laugh. The man joined her.

"Take it easy, girl. We won't hurt you." He tilted his chair backwards and shot Andrea an amused look that Nita did not appreciate.

"Where's my friend? The boy I was traveling with. Where is he?" Nita struggled not to let her desperation show, but her voice faltered a little. Her hands shook.

"He's all right. He's with Quinn right now." Dameon again.

"Quinn? Who's that?"

"The healer. He's just tending to his head injury, but don't worry, he'll be along any minute. You should rest."

"No way."

Andrea stepped forward. Her green eyes locked on Nita's brown ones. "Too many questions?" she asked softly.

"Yeah." Nita said, and swallowed hard. When she spoke again, it was without a trace of fear in her voice. "Yeah. Like, who the hell are you?"


	13. Power

Disclaimer: No one would publish this

**Disclaimer: No one would publish this.**

Dameon's eyes flashed a steely gray, and Nita flinched despite herself. Then, to her relief, he laughed. "You're a fiery one, aren't you?" he said, shaking his head at Nita and smiling. "We've just saved your life and that of your friend, or didn't you know what terrible danger you're in?"

_I know I'm in danger; I'm just not sure you're the good guys, _thought Nita. She said nothing, still feeling suspicious. Dameon and Andrea shared a look that was hard to read. Then Andrea leaned forward so that her curtain of sunshine-colored hair almost obscured her face and whispered, "If we're the bad guys, then they should build a monument to the Lone Power everywhere we go."

Nita's mouth dropped open in shock. "Dai-stiho, cousin," she managed when she had regained her powers of speech.

"Dai-stiho," replied Dameon and Andrea as one.

"Allow me to clarify," said Roshaun delicately, after Kit and Dairine had finished explaining all they knew. "You believe that Nita was kidnapped by these so-called 'shadow creatures' who attacked Kit. You're using Ponch's power" he nodded at the dog, who inclined his head graciously in return "to trace her, correct?"

"Yes." chorused Kit and Dairine.

Roshaun frowned. When he next spoke, he addressed Ponch directly, crouching down to Ponch's level so that he could speak to him face-to-face. "I'm not an expert on how your power works, but I must admit it makes me slightly…apprehensive to know that we have no idea what kind of situation we're getting into."

"No one's dragging you along," snapped Dairine, her hand ghosting towards her hip. Roshaun held up a hand for silence, and Dairine opened her mouth furiously. But then Ponch began to speak and she closed it rather reluctantly.

"I'm sorry I can't be of more help to you there, but you have to understand that I am only a manifestation of the One. I have only an infinitesimal portion of the One's total power. Now, by your standards that's still rather a lot, but nothing compared to the real deal. It's like this: while I exist in the physical universe, I must have physical limits, and those limits are imposed by those around me."

There was a short pause as they all tried to work out what that meant.

"Does that mean you're just a dog?" asked Dairine bluntly. She'd never been very fond of tact, probably because she saw most other people as useless.

"Yes. Just a dog. A dog that could level your planet," said Ponch calmly.

They were all silent. Even Kit felt intimidated.

Ponch gave an amused bark. They all jumped. "I was only teasing," he assured them mildly. "That would, of course, go against everything I stand for."

"Excuse me," the blond girl interrupted suddenly. She took a step forward and shook her hair back from her face. "This is all very amusing, but aren't we wasting time?"

Kit frowned. "Um, not to be rude, but who are you? And what're you doing here? This is wizard's business."

"It's good I'm a wizard then," said the blond girl lightly. "My name is Alyra. I'm Roshaun's sister."

Those three sentences seemed to contain far too much information for Kit's poor over stimulated brain to process. His mouth hung open in shock. Dairine, however, was having no such problem.

"You're a wizard?!" cried Dairine incredulously. "No way. I just heard you the other day talking about how wizardry was a crock!"

"Oh, so you're an eavesdropper as well," Alyra surmised coolly. "Charming. My brother always did have the best taste in girls…"

Dairine was practically foaming at the mouth, but before she could utter a sharp retort, Roshaun cut in and once again pointed out the obvious.

"As interesting as this conversation is, we have a job to do. You'll have plenty of time to snarl at each other later, girls,"

At this, the two young women turned away from each other, but they both took the time to glare at Roshaun before taking their respective places in the circle. Roshuan knelt down and quickly added his name, along with his sister's, to the diagram. Kit glanced over his work, as was customary, then Dairine began to speak the words of the spell. Another voice joined hers, then another, weaving a tapestry of musical speech as the air around them began to shimmer with the hum that was the last remaining echo of the big bang. There was pressure on the top of Kit's head. He closed his eyes and let the spell speak through him. The pressure was inside his chest now, like a hand cradling his heart. The hum was inside him now. He was rooted to the ground. He was dying. He had never felt more alive.

Without warning, the hand clamped down on his heart, and he was whisked away, with only the bang of displaced air and the stirring of the leaves to show he'd ever been there.

**A/N: I realize this isn't my best chapter, but give me a break, I'm rusty. Next one will be better, I promise. Reviews are nice. :D**


	14. Answer

When Nita saw Ronan she had to press her fist to her mouth to keep from crying out. He was asleep, after all. But the sight of him lying there immobile made her cringe. She crept to his side on achingly arched feet and sat down gently, careful not to wake him. Andrea had had the good sense to remain outside the hut, and Nita appreciated her tact. Now, taking a closer look at Ronan, she realized he wasn't as bad off as she had originally thought. The warm sunset colors blurred the outline of the gash on his forehead, making it look softer, less garish. The color had invaded his cheeks, and his eyelids flickered as he slept. Without thinking, Nita reached out to trace with her fingertips the cut and was surprised by the feverish feel of his skin. She drew her hand back slightly, haltingly, but it was too late.

With the quickness of someone who has been awakened suddenly from the abyss of sleep, Ronan's eyes were open. Nita froze, and he grabbed her hand. Pulled it back towards his face. Nita followed. He was beautiful in this light, his sharp cheekbones softened, his eyes glittering. With an unexplainable strength and caution he pulled her towards him and kissed her. Lightly, but with a hint of a challenge in it. _Why can't we finish what we started?_

Unbidden, the image of Kit burst into Nita's mind. His laughing brown eyes and clever hands. His seriousness when there was a problem to be solved. His temper tantrums. His moodiness. The way he looked at her when he hadn't seen her in a while, as though she was something marvelous. His stubbornness. His way of backing of her up always and completely. He never knew when to quit, even when he should. Sometimes that frustrated Nita more than anything. And others it made her ache with love with him, so that she thought her heart might break out of its ivory cage once and for all.

Gasping, Nita broke the kiss. She turned away from Ronan so that he wouldn't see the tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Hey," he said, his voice impossibly gentle, "look at me."

She did. And there was no anger in his face, only acceptance. "Hey. That question you asked me before, do you still need an answer?" Nita trembled all over. "No," she whispered, and hung her head.

Ronan smiled, a bit sadly maybe, and took her hand. "It's okay," he assured her, and Nita knew that it wasn't. But someday, maybe, it might be.

**A/N: A filler maybe, but a necessary one. Besides, I like it. And I haven't written anything in so long, you guys probably thought I'd given up….but I haven't! The end is in sight, however. I'd say next three chapters or so.**


	15. Reunion

When Kit next opened his eyes, he was lying flat on his back in the middle of a clearing. The sky above him was darkening quickly, but he could still discern the outlines of evergreens silhouetted against the deep blue crescendo of the heavens. He could feel pine needles beneath him, and the wind wove a musical tapestry through the branches. His surroundings were imbued with a subtle shimmer, as if they didn't fully belong to the world of things you could see and touch. For one wild moment Kit thought he'd died and gone to Timeheart, but that was impossible. The lighting was off, for one thing. For another, Nita wasn't here.

Shaking off his strange and inexplicable thoughts, Kit sat up to find his companions looking just as surprised and disoriented as himself, with the exception of Dairine, who was scowling.

"I don't like this place," she declared. Kit winced at the volume of her voice. Roshuan looked equally unhappy. This surprised Kit because he couldn't remember them ever agreeing on anything before. He glanced at Alyra and saw that she looked both dazed and captivated. Kit could only imagine that the expression was mirrored on his face. The shapes of the trees, the color of the sky, all held him rapt.

Ponch barked suddenly, startling him out of his reverie. _This way,_ he said, and trotted northwest in a brisk, decisive fashion. Kit jogged after him, and the rest of the group followed, with a minimum of disgruntled comments from Dairine.

After about fifteen minutes the trees began to thin, and Kit could make out the outline of what appeared to be crude straw-and-mud huts through the thick branches. Ponch slowed, his nose sniffing the air wildly. Kit didn't understand what was going on until a moment later, when the most wonderful smell he could imagine reached his nostrils. It was both salty and tangy at the same time, sweet and irresistible, and lacerated with the heady scent of wood smoke. For a brief moment Kit wondered if the shadow creatures were carnivores that lured their prey in with beautiful scenery and delicious food. Unable to shake off the idea, Kit started to articulate a question –

_There is no danger…here. _Ponch pre-empted him. Kit noticed the distracted sound of his thought as well as the slight pause before "here" and knew that Ponch was close to unraveling the mystery.

With that in mind, Kit stepped out boldly from under the cover of the trees and came face to face with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Nita awoke to the sound of familiar voices, including one that she loved best of all. For a moment she was convinced that she was still dreaming, and snuggled further into her warm bed. _Please let me go back to sleep, _she begged her subconscious. _It's been so long since I had a good dream…_

"Where is she? I want to see her. Now! I have to see – I have to make _sure – _

Nita sat bolt upright and rubbed her eyes, hard, forcing herself back to consciousness. There was no mistaking particular irritation for a dream – her mind would never willingly re-create it. At the moment, however, it was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard.

Nita threw off the blanket someone – probably Andrea – had thoughtfully thrown over her and ran outside, her feet bare and her hair wild. There was Kit, running his hand through his hair in that exasperated way of his, in a heated conversation with Dameon When he saw her, his face ran the gammit of emotion, but the most prominent was profound relief.

Laughing, Nita ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her back, but briefly, setting her gently but firmly on her own unsteady feet before she had the chance to protest. It was only then that Nita registered the presence of Dairine, Roshuan, a pretty blond girl she didn't know, and, of course, Ponch. Dairine looked suspicious, but that was nothing new, it was pretty much her only expression besides one of superiority. What was new was the identical expression in Roshaun's eyes. Nita remembered the thing about couples starting to look alike and laughed again before stepping forward to embrace her little sister.

Taken off guard, Dairine stiffened, then relaxed when she realized the hug was a sign of affection rather than an assault on her person. She awkwardly patted Nita on the back a few times, and then Nit let go, not wanting to embarrass her too much.

"Nice to see you, Runt," she joked, playfully punching her sister on the shoulder. To Nita's surprise, Darine's face broke into a wide grin. "Same here," she replied, and Nita knew she meant it.

"This is all very touching," the blond girl spoke up suddenly, "but is someone going to explain what has happened here?" Taking a closer look at her, Nita could see that she was unquestionably lovely, with pale blue eyes and a willowy build. Her hair was a shade or two lighter than Roshaun's, but there was no question that they were related in some way. They held themselves with the same impeccable posture and spoke with in the same haughty manner, as if the world owed them something. But then again, Nita realized, the world _did _owe them something –

Nita was startled out of her thoughts by Ronan stumbling out of the hut she'd just exited, his eyes still heavy with sleep. He blinked once, twice, then staggered backward in shock.

"What the hell…?"

"That seems to be a popular question," Dameon interjected smoothly. Nita gave a start, having half-forgotten his presence. "Which would you like first, food or answers?"

"Answers!" demanded everyone but Ponch, who simply yawned sleepily and said, _Food. I've already got all the answers._

**A/N: Okay, so I lied. The end isn't really in sight. But this should make you happy! And you KNOW the best way to make it last longer is to review…;)**


	16. Story

Kit wasn't sure what was going on. He thought he might be having an out-of-body experience. That was the only thing that would explain his current circumstances.

At the moment he was sitting at a roughly hewn wooden table across from Nita. His companions were strewn around him, some standing and some crouched close to the fire for warmth. They were all waiting for Dameon to return from wherever he'd disappeared to just minutes after their arrival, saying merely that he had an errand to complete before he offered any explanations. Andrea stayed with them, but her presence was not soothing. She stared unseeingly into the depths of the fire and refused to speak unless asked a direct question. Even then, she abstained from telling them any more about what was going on, saying it was not her place to explain.

It was a strange situation by any standard, and the only thing that kept Kit sitting there was Ponch's casual attitude toward the whole miserable catastrophe. Although the only thought Kit could pry out of him at the moment was an overwhelming sense of patience and calm, Kit was not altogether reassured. Several times he leaned forward to whisper a word to Nita, and each time he was rebuffed gently by Ponch shaking his head almost imperceptibly. As frustrating as this was, Kit knew better than to question his dog.

Dairine had no such qualms. She paced incessantly up and down the clearing. Every now and then a cry of frustration and rage escaped her. After about fifteen minutes of this childish behavior, she plunked herself down and said quite calmly, "If he isn't back in ten minutes, I'm leaving."

"That won't be necessary," a voice like velvet responded from beyond where the light of the fire could reach. A second later Dameon came striding out of the trees, and Andrea jumped up to embrace him.

"Well?" she cried, scouring his face with her eyes. "What is their decision?"

To Kit's great surprise, Dameon grinned. "They have decided to let our guests go free," he said, his eyes laughing, "and would like to extend a formal apology for the…er…incident."

"You mean kidnapping?" Nita suddenly exclaimed, jumping up from her place across from Kit. "I was nearly killed and Ronan as well! Are you trying to say that was just some sort of misunderstanding?"

During this speech Kit had moved instinctively to Nita's side, wrapping one arm around her waist to keep her from lunging at the inhumanly beautiful couple.

Dameon's face was smooth. "Actually, yes," he informed Nita frankly. "The council believed you were agents of the Lone One and saw fit to remove you from society."

At this, Nita started laughing, but it was not the sweet, girlish laugh Kit was used to. This laugh had a hard edged to it, a half-crazed sound. His arm tightened around her waist. Maybe he'd underestimated how much she'd been through in the past few days. The firelight danced on her cheeks, transforming her into a creature he barely recognized. Her voice was rough and her tone incredulous.

"Your council believed we were _his? _I have to say, I don't have much respect for them if they're so inept at recognizing events of his creation."

Dameon's handsome features were no longer impassive. "Do not presume to call _us _inept, young one. Not so long ago, your own sister was inhabited by the devil himself and you scarcely noticed the warning signs until it was almost too late."

Nita's jaw fell open, and Dairine flushed bright scarlet, her eyes fixed on the ground. Distantly Kit observed Roshaun trying to comfort her with an arm around her shoulders, and was not surprised to see her shrug it off. Alyra stood beside him, her eyes filled with wonder and confusion. Ronan looked tensed for a fight. He caught Kit's eye and nodded very slightly. Well, at least they wouldn't be without backup if this turned ugly.

Dameon continued talking as if his words had garnered no reaction. "I wouldn't expect you to understand…" he began, surveying each of their faces in turn. "We are an ancient people, older than humans, old as the world itself…And we have watched the millennia go by, mapping the progress of the human race as the years progressed, waiting for the point where we would have to intervene. The point in history where we would have the power to stop you destroying everything we have labored so long to protect. It is more than a duty, more than a call, it is written in our very blood. It was always our destiny to save the world…we were intended to save you from yourselves."

He hesitated, and the sorrow on his face was incomparable. It took Kit's breath away. Because he knew that he could never looked like that. Not even if everything dear to him was taken away, not even if Nita's very life were extinguished – he cringed at the thought, but knew that even then he would have to suffer for untold eons before his eyes could begin to reflect the sadness that Dameon's now held. The clearing was silent for a moment, and then and Andrea took up the mantle.

"Dameon said it was our duty to be Protectors. And he is right…until very recently, it _was. _But it is no longer our cross to bear. Don't misunderstand, children. We are not giving up. There is still hope for this world, and many things you can achieve…even now, in your anger" her limpid eyes focused on Nita "I am surprised by the fierceness of your love…for all of them, but especially for him." She nodded at Kit, who froze. Nita looked at him wonderingly, but he was still as a statue, unable to move even an eyelash. He tuned back into Andrea's speech.

"I lose my point within words, as I so often do. Our purpose in telling you all this, young ones, is not to frighten or intimidate you. We mean simply to pass on the responsibility we have tended for so many centuries." Her eyes swept around the clearing once before coming to rest on Alyra. "You, there. You are not of this world, yet you have great potential in you….do not waste it." Alyra looked humbled for once. All was silent for a moment, and then Dameon spoke once more.

"The fate of your world is now your own….Goodbye."

And with that, before anyone could say a word, the lovely pair joined hands and leapt gracefully together into the forest, leaving only the red embers of the fire and the sweet echo of their voices in the trees to show that they'd ever been there. The stars shown like hard, unforgiving diamonds above their heads, and Kit, though Nita was close enough to reach out and embrace, had never felt so alone.

**A/N: I know not everything makes sense at this point, but I promise Ponch will explain everything in the next chapter….hope you enjoyed it, and as always, please remember to review! ******


	17. Home

Roshaun recovered first. "Well, that was interesting. Seeing as we've managed to rescue Nita, shall we return home?"

Dairine exploded.

"No we _cannot _just return home! I for one am sick of being treated like a kindergartener who's done something wrong! I _demand _to know what's going on right this minute."

She stood there, shaking with rage, in the middle of the clearing, until Ponch coughed deliberately and they all turned to look at him.

"I may have some information that may clarify the situation."

Nita could tell from the furious expression on her sister's face that she was going to start screaming again soon. "Me, too," she added quickly, and with a quick nod from Ponch, launched into her tale, glossing over the part where she'd thrown herself at Ronan. When she was finished, silence had descended over the little gathering. Out of habit, she looked to Kit for reassurance, and was shocked to find him looking murderously angry.

"They did WHAT to you?" he shouted, not even attempting to keep his voice down. He focused his attention on Ponch. "After all that, we're just supposed to let them walk away?"

The mutt's expression was serene, and it was very easy to forget that he was nearly omniscient. "Yes," he responded calmly, "you are."

There was a pause as they digested this information. Ponch took this opportunity to speak. "A long time ago," he said, "there was a council of twelve that was appointed to protect this world. I say appointed…they appointed themselves, rather. They were wizards all of them, and not human….but they were just as much a part of this world as you are. More, maybe. And now the time has come for them to move on…I believe Kit, Nita and I understand that better than most," he added with amusement, referring to last year's tumultuous spring break. Then his voice was serious again. "We have to accept that," he continued, "and then move on ourselves."

They were all silent for a moment, considering that. Then Nita said aloud what they were all thinking.

"I don't know about you guys, but I_ really_ want to go home."

**A/N: Filler chapter. Filler. FILLER. Sorry, I know that must be annoying. And I also realize that Ponch didn't really explain *everything*. But that's the way it goes…it'll all work out (Tom Petty = the greatest).**


	18. Impact

They all agreed that it would be best if they went back to their respective homes rather than Tom and Carl's, so Nita and Dairine appeared in their backyard with only the faint _pop _of displaced air to accompany them. It was a beautiful night. The wispy clouds that partially obscured the nearly full moon we imbued with a sort of subtle luminescence, and the warm breeze carried the songs of crickets on its back.

"Do you think he'll kill us?" Dairine asked, jerking her head toward the house.

"Probably," Nita answered, taking her sister's hand with a wry smile. To her surprise, her sister didn't yank her hand away, and together they made their way into the silent house.

Kit woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. The cause of it was most likely all the screaming his mother had done last night, in Spanish and English both, but he didn't really care. He was probably on house arrest, too, but he didn't really care about that either. He had never been so happy to be yelled at in his life. After his mother had run out of breath, he went over to her and hugged her, and his dad, too, who was just standing there with a mildly amused expression on his face.

"I love you guys," Kit said, and went up to bed.

Now, of course, he realized he had a problem. Well, more than one, actually, but the one at the top of his list was Nita. Were they back together? He didn't think so, but the way she had hugged him yesterday, and allowed him to comfort her…No. He was just letting his hopes run away with him. They were just friends, and that's all they ever would be now, because of his own stupidity.

But…what if he was wrong? What if she'd forgiven him, was ready to get back together, and was now hurt because he was ignoring her? He shot a panicked glance at the clock. What if she was just sitting alone in her house, with no one but Dairine and her no doubt furious father to talk to?

Kit got dressed in a hurry.

He was walking down the street thinking about what he was going to say to Nita when it happened. He didn't even hear the screech of brakes until it was too late. Too late for a spell, too late to jump out of the way, too late even for his life to flash before his eyes. He might have liked that. Seeing Nita one last time.

As it was, the last thing he heard before impact was the sound of her scream.

**A/N: I know I must be killing you with these short chapters…sorry. I'm not deliberately trying to milk anything, that's just the way they're turning out. Also, I apologize for the cliffhanger. Is this the end for Kit? What do you think? Review and let me know! **


	19. Surrender

Nita saw it all happen in slow motion. The car was coming around the corner going way too fast, and Kit wasn't paying attention. She opened her mouth – to shout a warning or a spell, she wasn't sure which – but Dairine beat her to it. The instant before the car was about to hit Kit she shrieked at it to stop in the Speech. It was a badly worded request, vague to the point of being dangerous, and Nita knew that it would cost her later, but at least it slowed the car down. It wasn't much, but coupled with the driver suddenly slamming on the breaks, it was enough to soften the impact. Kit was merely knocked to the ground instead of flying through the air, and although Nita knew it could have been much worse, she still wasn't likely to ever get the image of Kit lying motionless on the pavement out of her head.

She held his hand while they stitched them up, ignoring his assurances that he was really fine, that it was just a scratch, saving her reprimands for when she was sure he was okay. She slipped out of the room for only a moment, to call his parents. He wouldn't want them there, she knew, but they were gonna find out anyway, especially since the doctor thought he should stay overnight for observation. Overall, it was a very confusing and emotional couple of hours, and there wasn't really a good opportunity to say what she'd needed to say, between the stitches and dealing with adults who asked too many questions. She seized her opportunity when Kit's parents finally left to get something to eat, promising to return with a burger for him and a wrap for Carmela, who was charged with making sure he didn't "wander off anywhere." Nita didn't know how 'Mela managed to keep a straight face during that one, but she still felt slightly nervous as she approached her ex-boyfriend's sister, who was lingering near the door of Kit's room, making faces at the cute male nurse who had just finished checking Kit's blood pressure.

"Hey, um, 'Mela? Mind if I talk to Kit for a minute? Alone?"

Carmela looked delighted to be relieved of her babysitting duty. "No problema, Senorita Jaunita," she teased before beckoning to the nurse with a perfectly arched eyebrow. "Hey, Joel, is it? Wanna buy me a smoothie?"Nita would have laughed if she hadn't been so nervous. Instead she just bowed her head and ducked around them into Kit's room. Banged up as he was, he still lit up when he saw her.

"There's my knight in shining armor," he teased wryly, "covering my ass as usual. What would I do without you?"

He meant it as a rhetorical question, but it sounded wrong, and the silence stretched between them like a bubble they were both afraid to pop. "Actually, you should probably thank Dairine," said Nita finally, when she could no longer stand the awkwardness. "She's the one that covered your ass this time."

Kit groaned. "Great. The last person I'd ever want to be in debt to. What do you think this constitutes? Lifetime of servitude?"

He was smiling, but Nita was still hesitant. "Well, she did save your life."

The smile faded. "Nita," he began. "Kit," she said the same time. It was about this time that she lost control of her limbs. Rushing over to the side of his bed, she threw her arms around him as carefully as she was able and started to sob.

"Shhh, Nita, it's all right," he said, tracing calming circles on her back with his fingertips as he held her. Nita was instantly reminded of that other morning, not so long ago, when she'd gone to pieces in exactly the same way, if not over the same subject matter. But it wasn't all right, not really. Because she still had something to tell him. In fact, why hadn't she said it yet? What was wrong with her? With a great effort she drew away from him and looked directly into his eyes.

"There's something I have to tell you," she said, and she was pretty sure everyone on the floor could hear her heartbeat. "I love you." There. She'd said it. Well, at least she'd told him. At last, if she had regrets when she got older, they wouldn't be that she hadn't tried.

Kit's face was impossible to read for a moment, and then he did the last thing Nita expected. He started laughing. She looked at him in utter confusion. Was this his way of rejecting her? Of telling her he didn't love her anymore? Even if it was, Nita knew that this cruelty was deserved. She'd hurt him for reasons even she couldn't understand, and she deserved every bit of this pain. She hung her head, ashamed, and considered leaving. She didn't know how much more one person could take.

So she was a little surprised – okay, more like shocked – when his lips found hers. When his hand reached up to cradle the back of her head, and his other hand reached out to pull her closer to him. And then she was kissing him back, fiercely, freely, and she didn't care how much pain this caused her later, because it was worth it just to be near him, no matter how long it lasted.

All too soon, they broke apart. Or more accurately, Kit pulled away. Nita had known it would happen, but she wasn't happy about it. She sighed and leaned back, knowing he needed a moment. When he spoke, his voice was confused, but happy. "Why did you break up with me?" he asked her, his eyes sincere and searching. Nita was taken aback. This was not a question she was prepared for. She'd been expecting more like 'get out'.

"I…I don't know. I guess I was just confused about…well, you know." She blushed. Still awkward Nita. "Confused and…scared. I was terrified, Kit. I didn't know what it meant and I…well, I still don't. And to tell you the truth, I'm still scared." She felt very vulnerable admitting that, but it was true and Kit deserved total honesty from her after all the crap she'd put him through. What she didn't expect was for him to wrap his arms around her and pull her close. Tentatively, she laid her head on his chest, and he buried his face in her hair.

"There's no need to be scared, honey," he said huskily. "I'm right here. And I love you, too."

There were tears running down Nita's cheeks, but they were happy ones this time. Kit loved her and she loved him, and that wasn't going to change no matter what else happened. She shifted so that she was lying on her side on the narrow hospital bed next to him, and he shifted his neck so that his lips brushed her hair. Nita hoped she could lie there forever, because lying next to Kit with his arms wrapped around her and his steady breathing in her ear, she finally felt like everything was going to be all right.

**A/N: Liked it? Hated it? Thought it was impossibly fluffy and or soap opera-ish? Leave me a review and tell me what you think! It's the only way I'll ever improve! Also, this is probably the last or second to last chapter. I may include an epilogue to explain unresolved things (such as Dairine and Roshaun), I haven't decided yet. **


	20. Epilogue: Compromise

When Dairine awoke, she was startled to find Roshaun sitting calmly in the chair by her bed with a slight smile on his face. She sat bolt upright and rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't having some sort of bizarre dream.

"What the…?" she wondered aloud, but no expletive she knew (and that was by no means a small list) was quite right for the unexpected presence of a ridiculously handsome humanoid who also happened to be your boyfriend in your bedroom before dawn. She settled for "How long have you been there?"

Roshaun laughed. "About 30 seconds. I just wanted to…what is the expression? Freak you out."

"Yeah well, mission accomplished," Dairine grumbled.

Roshaun raised a suspiciously well-groomed eyebrow. "Ah, so my presence here is unwelcome, then? I suppose I'll have to leave…" He started towards the door. Dairine was torn between desparately wanting him to stay and unwillingness to injure her pride, but she wasn't forced to choose between them. He stopped with his hand on the door.

"I seem to have forgotten something," he said, and turned around smartly, walking back to perch lightly on the edge of Dairine's bed. "But I'm not sure where it is…" He looked at her with a glint in his eye.

"I think I know," said Dairine, grinning, and kissed him.

"Found it," Roshaun whispered when they broke apart, then tweaked Dairine's nose. She couldn't stop a silly, girlish smile from spreading across her face, and wondered if it was time to end this before she became addicted to _Seventeen. _The very thought, however, made her want to scream. Roshaun noticed her expression and looked at her with questions in his eyes. Afraid of the answer to her real question, Dairine decided to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"What the hell is up with your sister? And what about the issue of leadership on Welkah? Who's going to take care of …"

Roshaun was smiling so broadly that Dairine simply trailed off in wonderment, which was quite a feat, for her. "All taken care of, love," he assured her. "My sister's a wizard now, or have you forgotten? Of course, she's a little young to take over the throne entirely, she'll have to be coached a great deal before that moment comes, but she is more than capable, and I for one think that she would make a far great ruler than I ever – What?" Roshaun was looking at Dairine in some confusion. She had no idea what expression currently occupied her face, but she had plenty to say.

"Wait just one minute! Are you saying what I think you're saying? You – you're not going to be king of Welkah anymore?"

He was grinning. "Bit of a disappointment, isn't it? Thought you were getting a king and now you have to settle for a member of the royal family," he teased her.

"But…but your sister hates wizardry!"

He shrugged. "She changed her mind. Or rather, my father did. He had a talk with her, showed her some of what we can do. I think it was more just worry for us than fear of wizardry that kept her from it, to be truthful. The citizens aren't too happy about it at the moment, but I think we can come to an agreement over time. A compromise, if you will." He smiled at his use of the American expression, and was probably going to go on demonstrating his mastery of cultural idioms had he not been cut off by a piercing shriek from Dairine, who had thrown her arms around his neck. Laughing, he hugged her back. They stayed like that for a while, saying nothing. At last, Dairine spoke.

"I want to show you something." She got up and moved over to the window. Curiously, Roshaun followed. They both climbed up onto the roof, Roshaun with insulting ease considering how long it had taken Dairine to perfect that move. Then they both sat in silence, hands clasped, as the morning sun turned Dairine's hair red-golden and the sound of a spell in-progress descended around them.

**A/N: I messed around with the ending for a very long time, trying to get it exactly right, but I finally had to concede that I will probably never be completely happy with it. But I'm damn proud of myself for finishing this story, and hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. So that's it. Until next time, Dai'stiho, cousins. **


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